Fair Share Health Care Act
| Healthcare in the United States |
|---|
Maryland Senate Bill 790, known as the Fair Share Health Care Act, also nicknamed the "Wal-Mart Bill", was a legislative act passed in the state of Maryland in 2005. The act would have required for-profit employers with more than 10,000 workers in the state of Maryland to spend at least 8% of their payroll on employee health benefits or make a contribution to the state's insurance program for the poor. Non-profit employers were required to do the same, but with a lower, 6% benchmark.
The Maryland legislature initially passed the bill on April 5, 2005.[1] Though its supporters contended that it did not single out Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart was the only private, for-profit employer in the state that would have been affected.
The bill was vetoed by then-Governor Robert L. Ehrlich[2] On January 12, 2006, the Senate decided to override Ehrlich's veto, thereby passing the act into law.[3][4]
On July 18, 2006, federal judge J. Frederick Motz struck down the law as preempted by ERISA. On January 17, 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the decision.[5]
Similar measures
While the Maryland bill drew the most national media attention, similar measures were considered in other states but also failed.
In 2006, such a bill was vetoed by the governor of Colorado.[6]
In the same year, a version of the bill that would have required companies with 5,000 or more employees to spend 9% of their payroll on health care benefits was defeated[7]
External links
- Details of the Fair Share Health Care Act. Maryland General Assembly.
References
- ^ Wagner, John; Barbaro, Michael (April 6, 2005). "Md. Passes Rules on Wal-Mart Insurance". The Washington Post. p. A01.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Armour, Stephanie (January 13, 2006). "Maryland first to OK 'Wal-Mart bill'". USA Today.
- ^ Wagner, John (January 13, 2006). "Md. Legislature Overrides Veto on Wal-Mart Bill". The Washington Post.
- ^ Coulter, Michael (March 2006). "Md. Enacts 'Wal-Mart' Bill". The Heartland Institute.
- ^ Barbaro, Michael (January 18, 2007). "Appeals Court Rules for Wal-Mart in Maryland Health Care Case". New York Times.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Thomas, Ralph (February 15, 2006). "Wal-Mart bill likely dead; unions upset with Chopp". Seattle Times.
 | This Maryland-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |